I told my family today that FH and I were planning to move to the suburbs after our wedding and my family freaked out, so I wanted to get other perspectives.
I currently live in a large, major US city. I live in a studio and FH lives with a roommate in a 2 bedroom. Even though our places are small and not in great shape, we spend a TON on rent. FH now permanently works from home, and I still work in an office in the city. We thought it would be cool to move to a townhouse in the suburbs on a train line so we could get a bigger place with a doable commute.
Our city is shut down right now and is honestly a miserable place to be. My neighborhood has become more dangerous as a result of businesses closing and failing and people leaving. My neighborhood is often the site of protests (that have become riots over the past year, I had to flee my home twice). I loved this city for a long time, but I'm just not loving it right now. I know as the economy recovers that this will change, but it's hard to ignore the way it is now.
When things were normal, FH and I went out to dinner once or twice a week. I enjoy walking to work and the grocery store. I'm very close to friends (though like I saidn many have left the city, and many have left the state altogether). I didn't use many of the city amenities like the gym or the arts opportunities because I didn't have much time or money. But we did go to maybe 3 shows a year, which I loved.
My family thinks I will be isolated and miserable in the suburbs. FH and I are childless. The place we are considering is not walkable and doesn't have a variety of restaurants and bars or other fun things. It is within driving distance of the city and of some tourist attractions if you drive further from the city. My family says I will be so bored and have no friends because childless people don't live in the suburbs.
I was really confident in this decision because I liked the idea of having more space. I love to cook and some recipes take days, so I am longing for a bigger kitchen and a bigger fridge. I don't mind going to the same bar and the same restaurant. But now my parents have me worried that I'll be isolated and friendless.
Does anyone have any experiences or advice they could share?